We often think the quickest way to learn is to read a book or sit through a lecture, but Socrates would ask his pupils questions. The questions forced them to think critically and come up with their own insights.

Many preachers are like a light switch when it comes to passion, it’s either flipped on or off, either talking or yelling. To more effectively use passion in your preaching, think of it as a dimmer switch with various levels of passion and smooth transitions from one to the other.

The gospel tells us that we aren’t going to be left out. The fear of “missing something” is abated with the knowledge that God has given us everything. And now, knowing that we are once and for all on the inside – inside the family; inside the promises; inside the dearly loved prized possession of God Himself – frees us from that nagging sensations that we might be left out.

Whole capitals have vanished without a trace, leaving only rumours and contradictory accounts in books. Some of these places may have existed, others definitely did, and others still are legends we somehow dragged out the sand and into fact.